Beijing lays down strict Olympic guidelines for foreign visitors

Tuesday 3 June 2008 19.01 EDT
First published on Tuesday 3 June 2008 19.01 EDT

Suspected terrorists, subversives and people with sexually transmitted diseases will not be allowed to enter China for the Olympic games, its organisers said yesterday.

Visitors staying anywhere other than at a hotel, school or official institution will have to register at a police station within 24 hours of arrival, according to an online list of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour for foreigners during the games.

The guidelines forbid sleeping in parks or under bridges. Visitors are reminded that nightclubs and bars are closed from 2am-8am, a rule already widely ignored.

Published on the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee's website, the list is largely a compilation of existing regulations. But the implementation of many rules has been tightened in recent months. The 57-point list includes very specific regulations on what can be brought into China - only one dog or cat, for example. But it is the vague, catch-all rules that are most likely to concern human rights activists who want to use the games to press their campaigns for religious freedom, free speech and more rights for Tibetans.

Any publication, CD, computer memory device or recording that contains content deemed harmful to China's economy, culture, morals and social order is banned. Spectators are also forbidden from shouting or displaying slogans of a political, religious or racial nature.

The guidelines are only published in Chinese, though a city official said an English-language version was on its way.

Previous Olympic hosts have introduced special regulations for the games. But Beijing has gone to greater lengths. It is also restricting products rivalling those of corporate sponsors.